Archive for October 2017 - Page 3

We first featured the Blues Beatles back in July, with their special arrangement of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” That video was quite popular, so we decided it was time to share another. This time around, they take on “Ticket To Ride,” in a live performance. Once again, Bruno Falcão handles the bass on this bluesy cover.

Founding Celtic Frost bassist Martin Eric Ain has died from a heart attack. He was 50 years old. Born in the United States, Ain joined the Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer in 1983. The group became deeply influential on black metal and is considered a pioneering band in death metal. They disbanded in 1984 with members founding another influential band:...

I’m always astounded by the bass work of Dominic “Forest” Lapointe. His refined technique and raw emotion always come through in his bass lines. I’m also stunned by his basses, which is why this week we’re checking out his six-string left-handed signature bass built by luthier Marc Chicoine. Based around Quebec, Chicoine has been building guitars and basses for 20...

There’s nothing like starting a song with a cool bass riff. “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith shines a light on the bass for sure! At the very top, we set the tone. To play this riff correctly and in time right out of the box is what it’s all about. How to approach learning something like this? Only playing the riff...

U-Bass fanatic Magnus Sjöquist shared this awesome video of his tribute to one of his bass heroes. “It’s a little tribute to Steve Swallow. Especially his bass/chord comping,” he writes. “This is a transcription of a part he plays behind John Scofield from a concert with the John Scofield Trio. I’m playing a custom Kala Solid Body 5-string tuned EADGC.”...

Mooer has updated their octave pedal lineup again this year with an updated version of their Tender Octaver. The Tender Octaver mkII features three brand new algorithms and a true analog dry through the signal. Its new Fat algorithm adds a “huge bassy lower octave and a soft-toned upper voicing” while a Tight algorithm focuses more on the lower octave...

To say I’m pumped about the upcoming Vulfpeck album would be an understatement. The band has released another video featuring a song from Mr. Finish Line, entitled “Hero Town.” Michael Bland guests (masterfully) on drums, with Joe Dart handling the bass, as always. The album is available for pre-order from Vulfpeck’s website.

Resonance Records has unearthed another incredible performance with Just Friends: Live at the Village Vanguard by Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway. Recorded at the famed New York City jazz club in 1988, the never-before-heard recording was captured by label founder George Klabin during a week-long run. “I just placed the mic on the table facing the band, hit ‘record’ and...

Electro-Harmonix has released a new Volume Pedal featuring two impedance options for maximum compatibility with instruments. “With selectable 25K or 250K impedances, the Volume Pedal is well suited for both active and passive pickup-equipped guitars and basses as well as keyboards, other electronic instruments and line level signals,” the company writes. Housed in a rugged chassis, the pedal is a...

Nate Wood always impresses us with his videos from his “fOUR” project. The multi-instrumentalist produces some incredible music, simultaneously handling the bass, drums, and keys. And this time around, he adds vocals to the mix. All. At. Once. Here’s his latest entry in the series, with the tune, “Better If You Try.”

Wallace Fairfax has published a new book called Spinal Tap: The Big Black Book. In the words of Nigel Tufnel, “It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None … more black.” The 128-page book documents the band and the rockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, that launched them into fame. “Now, for the very...

If you’ve been to a wedding in the past five years, either as a guest or a band member, there’s a good chance you’ve heard or played a handful of Bruno Mars and Amy Winehouse hits. Producer Mark Ronson is the mastermind behind many of these now-standard-repertoire tunes such as “Valerie” and “Locked Out Of Heaven.” With a background in...